Holy Mole Chili Con Carne

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven (5 1/2 Quart Le Creuset is my go to pot) over medium heat. Make sure the oil does not get to the smoking point.

Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, and all of the spices (except salt) and stir occasionally until the vegetables start to soften -approximately 10 minutes.

Turn up the heat to medium-high and add half the meat. Brown and break up the meat into small pieces about 3-4 minutes. Add remaining beef and break up, cooking for another 3-4 minutes.

Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree and paste and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to low and simmer covered for 1 hour.
Remove cover and add 3-4 ounces of dark chocolate, stir and continue to simmer for another hour, uncovered stirring occasionally. You can add 1/4 cup of water or beef stock if the chili begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. Adjust seasoning. You will probably want to add a dash more salt to balance out the subtle sweetness of the chocolate.

Serve with your favorite toppings. I add a squeeze of lime, shredded cheese, sour cream and chives. You can’t have enough toppings in my mind. I have also served this as a hot dip with extra large corn chips (Fritos) for dipping.